It is a unique world of imagery that Erla S. Haraldsdóttir has created, in which she combines figurative motifs with painterly quality and humour. It is accomplished through paintings in large format based on the freedom that lies in self-imposed limitations, completed with its own fusion of concept-driven practices and painterly expression. The paintings’ models have either been selected by a system which impromptu determines places from a certain story or through tasks given by others. The paintings, which have never before been shown in Sweden, are all made in the last three years.

Haraldsdóttir is trained as a classical painter and has in recent years worked mainly in a figurative way. The physicality of paint and the handling of colours are of great importance to create space, light and shadow. Central to her practice is also the methods she developed to explore how memories, emotions and visual perception interact. She has previously worked with animation, video and photomontage as a tool for appropriating and restructuring reality. Acclaimed and important recent works are her photomontage Here, There and Everywhere, animations as Sad with Satie and Reynisdrangar and extensive collaborative projects as M.E.E.H. and the Difficulty of Freedom / Freedom of Difficulty, project that also includes teaching and workshops.

At the opening, her book with the same title as the exhibition will have a release. It is designed by Ariane Spanier design in Berlin, with texts by Christoph Tannert, Jonatan Habib Engqvist and Kylikki Zacharias.

Curator: Bengt Olof Johansson

Programme
Opening: 3th of October at 14 hours
Artist talk: 3th of October at 15 hours